The Bar Council of India administers the All-India Bar Examination, a requirement for law graduates to begin practicing law. Offered twice a year in over 10 languages and with no age restrictions, the exam covers a wide range of subjects such as Constitutional law, criminal law, public interest litigation (PIL), environmental law, industry laws, taxation, intellectual property law, and others.

Recently, a petition sought to lower the cut-off marks for this exam. However, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, rejected the petition. Chief Justice Chandrachud pointed out that reducing the cut-off could potentially impact the quality of lawyers practicing in India and advised the petitioner to further study the issue.

They have put a cut-off of 45 for general, OBC and 40 for SC/ST …what kind of lawyer will the person be if they cannot score this much?” the Chief Justice said. He then added, “Padho bhai”.

Ranjeet Singh and Another v. Bar Council of India